Lubricating device for connecting-rods



(No Model.)

Patented July 15, 1884 7!?! (43s as lhvrrnn STATES PATENT ()FFICEOWILLIAM J. FAUL, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CONNECTING-RODS.

EPECIPIfiATlON forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,973, dated July15, 1884.

Application filed December 26, 1883. (No model.)

during ordinary atmospheric temperatures,

but will readily soften or fluidize at the end which is exposed to wearby friction. Such a cartridge has been placed in a case applied to thejournal box or hearing to be lubricated or in the oil-hole of such aboxor bearing, with its inner or lower end in contact with the journal orshaft, and as the cartridge becomes fluidized at the inner or lower endby frictional contact with the journal or shaft it is fed downward uponthe journal or shaft by reason of gravitation orby a small weightapplied to its upper end. Although such a cartridge can be successfullyemployed for lubricating bearings which are stationary, it'has not beenadvantageous for the crank ends of connecting-rods and many other boxeswhich have movement, because thecartridge, if made to fit loosely enoughto insure its descent bygravitation, would be thrown up and down in itscase, and would become knocked to pieces or so distorted that it wouldbe liable to be held permanently out of contact with the crankpin orjournal.

The object of my invention is to enable a lubricating cartridge or stickto be successfully used for connecting-rods and other moving boxes. t

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with a case forcontaining a grease cartridge or stick, and in which the cartridge orstick will descend by gravitation, of a follower capable of movementwith the cartridge or stick in said case, and aretaining de-' vice whichwill form such an engagement be-' tween thesaid follower and the casethat, while it leaves the follower and cartridge or stick free todescend,it will so retain them in the position to which they havedescended as to prevent the cartridge or stick from being thrown upward.The aforesaid retaining device may be carried by the follower, and itwill then engage with the interior of the case to prevent upward.movement of the cartridge or stick. Such a combination of parts isincludedin my invention.

The'invention also consists in novel details in the construction of thecase and retaining device, as more fully hereinafter described, andreferred to in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a partly sectional side view of the crankend of a connecting-rod and a lubricating device applied thereto andembodying my invention.

A designates the crank pin or wrist.

B designates the brasses, and Ois the strap whereby the brasses areconfined and secured to the end D of the rod.

E designates a case, which is usually of cylyndric form, and which issecured in the strap 0, so-that it will stand nearly upright or at rightangles to the longitudinal center of the rod D. As here shown, the caseis screwed into the strap, and the bore a of the lower part of the caseis coincident with a similar hole, a, which extends through the brassesB.

F designates the lubricating cartridge or stick, which is of grease orother lubricating material, and will retain its solid form underordinary atmospheric temperatures. I It is of such size that it can movefreely in the bore ac, and its lower end is always in contact with thecrank-pin A. By frictional contact with the crank-pin the cartridge orstick is softened or fluidized at the lower end, and as it is thusconsumed it is fed down by gravitation. The cartridge'may consist of asimple stick of grease, or it may have a shell of paper or othermaterial, which will be reduced by friction jointly with the grease orlubricating material of which the cartridge is composed. Such acartridge is shown and described in my Letters Patent No. 214,640,granted April 22, 1879. It is obvious that if the cartridge F fitsloosely enough in the bore a a to insure its proper feed by gravitation,it would be thrown up and down in the case by the rapid rotary movementof the connecting-rod, and would soon be-r-zknocked to pieces or sodistorted that it would stick in the case and be inoperative. To preventthis I employ a follower, which will descend freely in the case with thecartridge or stick, and a retaining device, which will form such anengagement between the follower and case as to prevent the cartridge orstick from being thrown up 4 ward in the case. In this example of myinvention the cartridge or stick has a shell of paper or other material,as above described, and at the upper end thereof is a follower or cap,F. Said follower or cap carries a retaining device,consisting of twopawls or dogs, b,which are pivoted thereto at b. The interior of thecase E is roughened, as at c, by forming circular grooves or acontinuous screw-thread on its interior, or in any other suitablemanner, so that the points of the pawls or dogs I) may engage with orcatch into the case, and thus hold the follower or cap and cartridge orstick against upward movement in the case.

I have shown in full lines the normal position of the pawls and indotted lines the position of the pawls when it is desired to pull up thecartridge for any reason. The pawls have attached to them a string orother connection, (1, whereby they may be lifted, and this string orconnection may pass through an aperture, 0, in the cover E.

Normally the pawls or dogs I) rest against the roughened interior of thecase, as shown in full lines, and while they do not in any degree retardthe downward movement of the follower or cap and cartridge or stick,they will on any tendency of the cartridge or stick to move up in thecase take into or engage with the interior of the case, and thus preventthe cartridge from such upward movement.

When it is desired to raise the follower or' cap F in the case for thepurpose of introduc ing a fresh cartridge or stick, or for any otherpurpose, the string or connection dis pulled upward, and lifts the pawlsor dogs I), so as to disengage their points from the interior of thecase, as shown in dotted lines, where upon the follower or cap will bereadily raised. out of the case. Normally the string d lies coiledwithin the case, and it has at the end a button, (1, which prevents itfrom dropping through the aperture 0.

By my invention the cartridge is allowed perfect freedom to descend inthe case, and yet it is prevented from being thrown upward in the case.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, with a case for containing a grease cartridge orstick, and in which the cartridge or stick will descend by gravitation,of a follower capable of movement with the cartridge or stick in saidease, and a retaining device, forming an engagement between saidfollower and ease to prevent the cartridge or stick from being thrownupward or returning in the case, substantially as herein described.

2. The co1nbination,with a case for containing a grease cartridge orstick, and in which the cartridge or stick will descend by gravitation,of a cap or follower capable of move ment with the cartridge or stick insaid case, and a retaining device carried by the follower, and adaptedto engage with the interior of said case to prevent the upward movementof the cartridge or stick in the case, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. The combination,with the case E, having a grooved or roughenedinterior, of the cap or follower F and its attached pawls or dogs 0 b,for engaging automatically with the grooved or roughened interior ofsaid case to prevent upward movement of the follower in said case,substantially as herein described.

4. The eombination,with the case E, having a grooved or roughenedinterior, of the cap or follower F and its attached pawls or dogs b b,for engaging automatically with the grooved or roughened interior of thecase, and the cord or connection (I, for disengaging said,.pawls or dogsfrom the case, substantially as herein described.

VM. J. FAUL. lVitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, MAT PoLLooK.

